Topic: Negative Storage

[Late Developer]

The imminent collapse of my rickety old desk in our spare bedroom precipitated a clear out and document shredding session of biblical proportions on Friday before the replacement desk arrived yesterday.

The upshot is that I now have all my negatives in one place (quite an impressive hoard to see) but, then again, my use of film has increased manifold over the past couple of years. I've realised that I need somewhere neat and tidy to put them.

I've considered scanning everything and then storing the better photos in anti-newton slide mounts - but never got beyond doing more than a few. The negatives / non-mounted trannies I now have are kept in negative holders but I wondered what storage solutions exist (aside from just boxing them up) and which options you guys use.

Also, do you collect and store details of film stock / where taken / when taken / camera / aperture / shutter speed etc? In what format? How stored?

[David A-W]

Negatives are kept in Printfile storage sheets, filed in ring binders in date order. Details are kept on a spreadsheet of the subject, film type, development, camera, lens etc. I generally don't record speed and aperture 

I usually scan everything quickly once developed then re-scan with more attention to detail if there's anything that merits it.

[Photo_Utopia]

I have since I started photography in the late 70's used Ring binder and Kenro neg sleeves. I have every film I've ever shot in a series of binders, and can find things really easily.
Mark

[LT]

Haphazard storage in kenro sleeves and ringbinders for me. No notes either. I also have a cull every 12 months or so. Any negs that aren't printed by then won't be so they are dumped.

5x4 negs are in glassine sleeves and kept in old film boxes.

Is it just me, or does the term 'unmounted trannies' cause extreme discomfort?

[Late Developer]

@David

I was wondering if such a spreadsheet existed in a proprietary format. I'm happy enough building my own but imagined that there'd be a "standard" template out there.

@ David and Mark

I have an old Kenro ring binder but it's a bit tatty and rather full. If that's all there is available, then okay but I'm going to have a look round for a box file type to stop any dust / fluff getting into the file itself (I have my computer / scanner in a carpeted back bedroom and compete for space with a couple of cats - so not exactly a clinical, dust-free environment...!)

[Phil Bebbington]

Kenro sleeves and ringbinders for me also, although, I am about 5 years behind with that task. With regard to details, I do  write on each sleeve date, location and camera used and use that to file in order. What is written on the sleeve also forms the basis for any scanned file name.

Is it just me, or does the term 'unmounted trannies' cause extreme discomfort?

Yes, Leon. I immediately went and slipped into something more comfy

[Late Developer]

Is it just me, or does the term 'unmounted trannies' cause extreme discomfort?

Note to self: read back what I've written before posting to avoid "fnarr-fnarr" moments...!! 

Since posing the question, I had a bit of an enlightened moment and got onto the Silverprint website and had a look under "storage". They sell "archival ringbinder boxes" designed for the job. Not cheap but I reckon worth getting a couple as I'm fed up having to remove half a catful of hair every time I do a scan - even if I've dusted and cleaned the scanner and negative beforehand.

I'm not sure I could bring myself to cull negatives - however crap the photos are. That would be way out of my comfort zone......

[DaveMiller]

I use the rather swish clamshell ringbinder boxes as sold be Silverprint with my negative in Kenro sleeves (swish=expensive). As for filing I write the location and date on the top of the sleeve but that’s as far as it goes.

[Sandeha Lynch]

Files from Staples, neg sheets from eBay.  Dates only, though occasionally camera if there's a reason.  No time for anything more elaborate.

[Diane Peterson]

OH My!! You guys do go on!( Leon and Phil).., as everything else was taken in with an eye towards "learning".....But you two are seriousely "bad"...and way too funny!

[Francois]

Storage... I think I fall a bit into the "maniacal" category!
I put all my B&W negatives into Print File sleeves (though I've also got a bunch from another brand). Each one is labeled using a thermal labeling machine (Brother P-touch) using the ISO date (yyyy-mm-dd). Contact printed and stored into an 8x10 sleeve. The print file sleeve is folded-up and put behind the contact print.

For color work, I do something similar but using the envelope and sleeves the film came with. These get labeled (envelope only) and stored in a box. The index print gets put in a small album with the corresponding date. Everything related to the content of the box gets put together.

[astrobeck]

Printfile sleeves in ring binders for me.
I write the date, film type and camera used along the margin.

I have five such binders full of negs.  Color and black & white negs co-habit in the binders... so far no fighting! 

Mounted slides live in the plastic boxes they came back in from the lab, and are then stored in sturdy shoe-boxes.  So far so good....but I do have to dig around a bit when I need to find a particular neg.

And like Leon, I store my 4x5 negs in glassine sleeves in old film boxes. 

[sapata]

By the way... my kenro holders are about to finish, where do you guys in UK normally buy them? I can't remember where I got mines last time...
Leon...where do you normally get your glassine for 4x5?

Cheers...

[Late Developer]

"SLIPCOVER"

Nothing to do with cricket....but that's the magic word that's been missing from my life thus far. I was just having a rummage around the interweb looking for Kenro ringbinders (of which I have one - very full example) when I saw mention of them being sold on Amazon with or without a "slipcover".

Paired with some Kenro negative files (not sure whether to stick with the tissue paper style or go with the acetate versions) I think that will see me right for 35mm and 120. I haven't got into 5x4 properly yet but I was recommended to keep old 5x4 boxes for storage and post - which now makes eminent sense.

Thanks to all for your insight into the "how and why" so far.

Francois - nice system. You seem to have produced a library standard archiving process that is the equivalent of thumbnails and exif data. I don't have your dedication to detail and think I'll have to settle for building a spreadsheet showing file, page number, date, location, camera and film stock - at least for now.

Paul.

[Francois]

Oh, my system is far from perfect!
Before labs did index prints, I had a complex system using a spreadsheet.
Entering a sequential number, film type, sensitivity, scene description was getting too much for me.
When I stumbled on the method I now use, I also started to use identical Ikea boxes (I think it's called Kasset or something like that... they're cardboard DVD storage boxes). What's neat about them is that they have a metal frame on the front so I can slip a label with the date range contained within the boxes. Since my rolls are rarely uniform in subject, it's easier to store them like that.

[LT]

@PJ - re acetate v tissue. I made the terrible mistake of ordering the clear acetate versions last time and wish I hadn't. They are an effing nightmare. If lost so many negs to the darkroom floor when grappling with them. They are prone to static and won't separate so you have to try to force the negs in - the corners if the strip get stuck on the edges of the holder pocket and all hell breaks loose.  Go for the glassine frosted versions and save yourself a nightmare, just don't get them wet.

@Sapata- I got a packet of 1000 of them from agphotographic. Should last me a while! Again, fine as long as you keep them dry, otherwise say good by to your negs.   

[jannx]

I sleeve all my stuff in "printfile.com" sleeves. They're supposed to be 'archival'. Who knows? Then into a 3 ring binder. I write onto the top of the sleeve the location, date and subjects. I then fire this sleeve onto my flatbed scanner and make a contact sheet from it. The scanner's number of the sheet becomes my reference when I need to dig up the negatives or transparencies. I also 'tag' the contact sheets with key words to enable a search for subject more easily on the computer.

Here's a sample 'contact sheet' from a scan. I then tag the 'contact sheet- jpg' with descriptives and the topics are easier to find. Since the scans are in a timeline I can sort the contact sheets sequentially also.

[Nigel]

I buy the Paterson negative folders, I've got three now - I had a very long hiatus where I didn't shoot anything.

Each sleeve has the film, camera, speed, chemistry, time etc. [yes I'm a bit anal about some things] However I can tell you the first film, in this system, was shot in April 84 on FP4 (no plus) and developed in ID-11! 

[original_ann]

Huge fan of the Hama glassine mat negative sleeves.  Negatives never stick; always slip in easily, though you can't scan through them.  I scan every image and then binder them by color (c41), BW and slide (e6).  I record my shooting notes and transfer them to excel spreadsheets sorted by year and camera.  (Pls excuse the digital snap shot!)

[jannx]

Ann.. I'm envious of your Kodak binders!!

[Phil Bebbington]

Ann, you are so organised as is Jan. I need to sort my sh*t out!

[charles binns]

I use the rather swish clamshell ringbinder boxes as sold be Silverprint with my negative in Kenro sleeves (swish=expensive). As for filing I write the location and date on the top of the sleeve but that’s as far as it goes.

Same here.   No notes, dates & not stored in any particular order. 

I tend to buy the Kenro sleeves off Ebay.

[Francois]

I need to start building a decent database system...